Breast Drills anybody use them?

[Bod]

Just brought a Miller Falls 18 (might be 118) breast drill from car-boot £1.20, rusty but totally unworn, not much used in the last hundred years.
All screws loose, chuck needed stripping, & cleaning. Very little paint left, less than 1%, will have to have a repaint!
Whats the best way to de-rust the knurling on the chuck, if there is any names on the chuck, this will help date it more closely.
Even still has the little spirit level.

Thanks Bod

 

[rmp]

Plusgas?

 

[whiskywill]

Cillit Bang?

I'm not Barry Scott.

 

[tool-me-up]

I find rustins rust remover works quite well on bike parts and similar ive never tried on tools though

 

[AndyT]

Plus gas is good for freeing stuck parts but I don't think it will help with rust.
If it's only light rust I would use a wire brush, preferably a brass one.
If you really want to go back to new metal either acid or electrolysis would work. I've had good results with citric acid. Others like acetic (vinegar) or phosphoric. I think Cilit Bang is sulphuric acid so it would probably work ok.

I wouldn't bother replacing the original nickel plating.

 

[Bod]

Plus gas is good for freeing stuck parts but I don't think it will help with rust.
If it's only light rust I would use a wire brush, preferably a brass one.
If you really want to go back to new metal either acid or electrolysis would work. I've had good results with citric acid. Others like acetic (vinegar) or phosphoric. I think Cilit Bang is sulphuric acid so it would probably work ok.

I wouldn't bother replacing the original nickel plating.

Plus gas, wonderful stuff, freed off all the threads.
I'm going to go with citric acid as I've used it before, the rust is to bad for wire brushing, more like wire wheel, but I don't want to lose any words on the chuck, I think it may be an early Parsons chuck, which would date the drill to 1906-1912, which also ties up with, whats left of the paint.
The real clincher would be the model No. on the handle...rust in that area is to bad for much hope....won't effect it working though!
Plated parts will be painted silver, the rest as was, or closest I've got. It i'll be a worker not a collector.

Bod